💻 What’s Russia’s go-to social network? Spoiler: it’s not the one you’re used to

Last week, our STEM fellows stepped inside the Moscow HQ of VK — Russia’s digital powerhouse.

So, what is VK?

Originally known for its iconic social network VKontakte (often called "the Russian Facebook"), VK has grown into a powerful digital ecosystem. Today, the company manages over 200 products — from social media and messengers to music and video platforms, e-learning services, online games, and business tools.

More than 100 million users connect with VK services every month — to chat, study, work, stream, and stay informed. Think of it as Russia’s all-in-one digital universe.

During the visit, our fellows toured VK’s modern office space — open, creative, and built for collaboration (yes, tthere’s even a juicer!). They also joined a session on how VK’s ecosystem works behind the scenes: how platforms integrate, how data flows, and how user experience is shaped.

Technology doesn’t look the same everywhere — and discovering how it works in different countries is what makes fellowships like InteRussia so valuable.

The InteRussia fellowship program for non-Russian specialists in STEM is implemented with support from the Directorate of the World Youth Festival, ABS Electro Charity Foundation and the Presidential Grants Foundation.

#interussia #stem #WYFD #PresidentialGrantsFoundation

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Every country has its launchpads for engineers 🔗

In Russia, STANKIN is one of them — and our fellows explored what makes it a training ground for future industry leaders.

🔗A legacy built on machines

Founded in 1930 to train engineers for the Soviet machine-tool industry, STANKIN was created at a time when the country urgently needed specialists. The format was tough: four days of factory work, two days of lectures lasting up to 12 hours. Only two years later, the first engineers graduated — just 29 of them.

Today, it’s one of only nine system-forming universities in Russia — institutions recognized for their strategic importance to the country’s economy and technological future. More than 5,000 students study here now, many of them working directly with real-world industry partners.

During the visit, the fellows explored the university’s Engineering Center for Digital Technologies in Mechanical Engineering. From smart tools to high-precision systems, they saw how Russia trains engineers not just for today’s tasks, but for the industries of tomorrow.

The InteRussia fellowship program for non-Russian specialists in STEM is implemented with support from the

Directorate of the World Youth Festival,

ABS Electro

Charity Foundation and the

Presidential Grants Foundation.

#interussia #stem #WYFD #PresidentialGrantsFoundation

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Curious what our theatre fellows have been up to? 💡

Between intense classes in acting, speech, and movement, they’ve also been exploring the places where Russian theatre lives and breathes — not just on stage, but in its very foundations.

Last week, they stepped into the heart of Russian stage history — visiting not one, but three iconic theatres:

▫️ the Bolshoi Theatre
🟪 the Moscow Musical Theatre
▫️ the Moscow Art Theatre

There, they explored how these institutions came to life, how their artistic identities were shaped, and what’s playing on their stages today. And — just between us — they even sat in the very seats once occupied by Stanislavski and Nemirovich-Danchenko.

A rare chance to feel the weight of tradition — and the pulse of modern Russian theatre.

The InteRussia fellowship in theatre arts is implemented within the framework of the New Generation program of Rossotrudnichestvo and with the support from the Presidential Grants Foundation.

#interussia #theatre #PresidentialGrantsFoundation #NewGeneration

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Can you imagine turning an idea into reality in just one month? ⭕️

For a whole month now, our STEM fellows have been participating in the unique intensive course called the “Innovation Workshop”.

What is it?

It is an intensive month-long bootcamp course that unites the entire Skoltech master’s cohort with invited mentors. It is a project of fantastic scale: over 490 students selected from 15000 applicants get the chance to study and work in an innovative environment. They are joined by more than 50 world-renowned experts — mentors and lecturers — as well as over 100 Skoltech staff and faculty members. This is already the 12th edition of Skoltech’s workshop!

What does it mean?

🐚 Students engage in practical training, experiencing the full cycle of technological innovation — from idea to product or prototype
🐚 All projects are carried out in interdisciplinary teams
🐚 The teams recreate the spirit and real experience of complex innovative projects

And today marks the closing of the project — after which the selection of the 10 best projects will begin.

⭕️ Who will make it to the Top 10 projects at Skoltech? We’ll discover very soon!

The InteRussia fellowship program for non-Russian specialists in STEM is implemented with support from the

Directorate of the World Youth Festival,

ABS Electro

Charity Foundation and the

Presidential Grants Foundation.

#interussia #stem #WYFD #PresidentialGrantsFoundation

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